Friday, July 25, 2008

Ranieri : A Tough Test against German Borussia Dortmund

«Borussia are already League-fit. I watched the game they won against Bayern: they were like possessed, they sprinted, they pressed... They're ready for the League, whereas we're still preparing. It'll be a good test». This is how Ranieri introduced the game against Borussia Dortmund; the Bianconeri's upcoming opponents have just won the German Super Cup and they're a particularly tough team at this stage, as Juve still need to find their rhythm: «You only get it by playing –Ranieri explained – these games are important to “amass minutes”. I saw a good Juve in Copenhagen. After ten minutes we loosened up and we tried to play those combinations that allowed us to do well last year. Sure, there were a few mistakes, but in any case I saw a solid team. We'll need the same solidity in Germany».

Talk then switched to single players. First of all Sissoko: «He was supposed to recover just in time for our trip to England, and I'm already playing him. We mustn't rush, though; he's young, he wants to show how good he is and even in training I often have to hold him back».

On Mellberg: «I liked him a lot. You can see he's an experienced defender, solid, good with his head... it's difficult to go past him».

And then Amauri: «He's doing well, but he's not fit yet, just like the others. In any case I wasn't expecting him to start off like this».

And finally, Ekdal: «He has a lot of personality despite his 19 years of age. Are we going to send him somewhere on loan? I don't know. I will tell the Club what I think we should do at the end of the pre-season training, and then they will decide».

Trezeguet deserves a chapter all for himself, as the papers in the last few days have been saying he's not happy, creating a bit of controversy. Ranieri was inevitably asked about it, and he answered sarcastically, making it clear where the truth lies: «Do we have a Trezeguet problem? Please bear with me, but I can't answer these types of questions. I talk about football».

Finally, the Manager clarified the young players’ situation and the Club's plans: «At Juventus they ask you to win and to make the young players debut at the same time, whereas they go to the other clubs to grow. It's normal. It'll be up to them to fight for a place in the team now, knowing that they have a Manager who has no preclusion towards them and isn't scared of making them play».